Reeves announces £1bn for Teesside transport

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the investment in transport infrastructure in a speech

Teesside is to receive £1bn towards improving its transport network, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced.

Among the projects earmarked for the funds is a new platform three at Middlesbrough train station to increase the number of services.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said the money would include projects such as the redevelopment of Middlesbrough's bus station, improvements to the A66 and A689 and £20m being allocated for town centre trams.

In all, the government is to award £15.6bn to areas across the UK in a move it claims will "make all parts of the country better off".

Speaking from Greater Manchester, the chancellor said "a Britain that is better off cannot rely on a handful of places forging ahead of the rest of the country."

She said the "result of such thinking has been growth created in too few places, felt by too few people and wide gaps between regions, and between our cities and towns".

It comes ahead of the government's spending review next week.

'Get on and deliver'

Labour MP for Hartlepool, Jonathan Brash, said Hartlepool and Teesside needed "massive improvements".

"I genuinely believe we need to bring buses under public control like they are in places like Manchester and elsewhere," he said.

He told BBC Radio Tees there were parts of Hartlepool that were "cut off from public transport" and said the money was a "game-changer" to delivering better services.

"It takes forty minutes to travel a couple of miles in Hartlepool and you have to take two buses in order to do it," he said.

"There is so much to do but the critical thing is we need to connect our region up."

Hartlepool Council's call for bus services to be franchised across the region was rejected in February

Houchen described it as "the right move", saying it was confirmation of money promised to regions by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he announced the cancellation of the West Midlands to Manchester leg of HS2 high-speed rail in autumn 2023.

"We've been tirelessly making the case for this money, announced by the previous government, to come to us," the Conservative mayor said.

"I'm pleased our message has hit home, and it means we can get on and deliver on our list of absolutely vital transport projects - agreed by cabinet - to secure growth and jobs for people across Teesside.

"Unlocking another £1bn of funding will allow us to get on and bring the better roads, better stations and better transport links we deserve."

He said more work was needed to find out the costs of a new Tees crossing, which could "enhance" the A19 flyover.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) said projects included a new Teesside Park railway station and improvements to Middlesbrough South Bank and Thornaby.

The funding pot also includes more than £200m towards roads and £30m for repairs to the Transporter Bridge.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is confident the funding will enable to area to build on existing projects such as the modernisation of Darlington's train station

Luke Myer, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said the funding would be "transformative".

"This is fantastic news and long overdue. Every week, I'm hearing from people who are desperate for transport improvements - from more reliable public transport to proper road maintenance.

"Finally we have the cash to deliver."

Elsewhere in the North East, £800m will go towards extending the Tyne and Wear Metro network to link Washington with Newcastle and Sunderland.